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Originally Posted by T134guy
I have so many comments and ideas on this topic I dont even know where to start.
I...
Otherthings id like to see changed is that i think you should be able to make your own custom air containers. Using Copper piping to create an accumulater might be lighter than current accumulators and would be cheaper. To test for leaks in my current job (running pipe with plumbers) we pressure the system well over 100lbs of pressure and the pipes hold with solder. Its and economical solution that is cheap and allows for custimization of a system.
Ill prolly come up with some more stuff...
So please ponder some on these thoughts
-Pat
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I assume that the pipes you refer to are water pipes. There is a world of difference in the failure of a hydraulic system, such as a water pipe filled with water, and that of a pnuematic system. Pnuematic sytems are considered "pressure vessels".
A pressure vessel refers to any container that encloses material that tends to continue expanding when pressure is released. Pressurized air and steam are common examples.
Let's look at a vessel like an one of our accumulation tanks. Let's say you were to fill it with water, pressurize it and then seal it. If the accumulator should start to fail, then as soon as any water leaked out, the pressure will be relieved and the failure would stop. This happens nearly instantaneously.
Now let's try it again with air. Here when the leak starts, the pressure remains nearly the same as what it was before. The failed part continues to fail because it remains under load. There is a good chance that eventually something is going flying in a random direction in this scenario.
The design of pressure vessels is strictly regulated and can only be legally performed by people who are qualified by the State to do so. Those people are Licensed or Registered Mechanical Engineers (the exact term varies by state). There are a few of them running around here on CD, I am one of them, Dr Joe is another. I don't think either of us is familiar enough with the ASME boiler code, which regulates the design of pressure vessels, to be able to design our own and be sure of meeting all of the requirements. The companies that make pnuematic hardware are knowledgable about the code and follow it pretty strictly. It is the "standard of practice" in this area and not following it leaves you pretty wide open for liability suits should anything go wrong. Not to mention the fact that people might get hurt.
It is interesting to note that the ASME Boiler Code came about because somebody noticed around the turn of the century that boiler explosions were one of the top ten leading causes of death. The ASME decided that they should codify the best design practices and eliminate this entirely preventable calamity. This approach has been extremely successful. The last time I even heard about somebody even being injured in a boiler accident was ten years ago and it involved an antique steam locomotive that may have been built before the Code was created.
So there are darn good engineering reasons NOT to have you guys building your own custom tanks etc. In my opinion, it is the pnuematics, not the electronics, that have the highest potential for injury on a FIRST robot. So treat them with the respect they deserve and don't "meddle in the affairs of wizards".